Starbucks Environmental Scan - 1141 Words

Starbucks Environmental Scan Starbucks is a company in which purchases and roasts high quality whole bean coffees and sells them along with fresh, rich-brewed, Italian style espresso beverages, a variety of pastries and confections, and coffee-related accessories and equipment (starbucks.com). During my environmental scan in which took place at the Starbucks on the corner of Fair and Newport across the street from vanguard, I noticed many things in which where never brought to my attention in prior stays and visits at Starbucks; such as the many social groups in which choose to have their meetings at Starbucks. Thus in this essay we will discuss things in which many people do not really notice when going to Starbucks. The first†¦show more content†¦Even with me, even though I was only there for a little more than an hour they all were talking and joking around with me as if they have knew me for months and did not just meet me that day. Thus through my experience it seems as if Starbucks has the best employees when it comes to interaction with there customers. Also all of the staff members seem as if they all like each other, because they all work very well together and it seems as they are having a fun time while they are at work, since they all get along and joke with each other. When it comes to whether people take there drinks to go or drink them in the store, on the most part it seemed as if everyone that got a drink stayed and drank there drinks in the store. The reason why most people where getting drinks and staying at the store was because most of the people in which came during that time where college students and they where all having there study groups inside since it is worm and quiet. Also when people came to Starbucks most came in a group and keep conversation within there group, but then there was the occasional person in which came by themselves but in that case they either took there drink to go or they had a book with them in w hich they sat down and read it while having a cup of coffee. On a side note something that I realized is that Starbucks is known world wide as a place in which you can come get a cup of coffee andShow MoreRelatedEnvironmental Scan Paper1497 Words   |  6 PagesEnvironmental Scan Paper MGT/498 December 10, 2014 Dr. Pamela Linden Environmental Scan Paper Environmental scanning plays a critical role in the strategic management planning process. The environmental scan provides important information, which may be useful in forecasting changes for the future. Environmental scanning is, â€Å"the monitoring, evaluation, and dissemination of information from the external and internal environments to key people within the organization.† (Wheelen and HungerRead MoreMgt 498 Week 3 Environmental Scan Paper1099 Words   |  5 PagesEnvironmental Scan Paper Your Name MGT 498 Week 3 Instructor Name Date For any company to survive in the business environment, they must be accustomed toward any situation within the environment because of certain issues, perceptions, chances, and resources. These are such reasons every business must observe any applicable changes, which can occur within the environment and invent from existing policies to adjust toward variations. For any company to succeed the company will need to conquerRead MoreMgt 498 Week 3 Environmental Scan Paper1112 Words   |  5 PagesEnvironmental Scan Paper Your Name MGT 498 Week 3 Instructor Name Date For any company to survive in the business environment, they must be accustomed toward any situation within the environment because of certain issues, perceptions, chances, and resources. These are such reasons every business must observe any applicable changes, which can occur within the environment and invent from existing policies to adjust toward variations. For any company to succeed the company will need to conquer theRead MoreEnvironmental Scanning Paper1834 Words   |  8 PagesAbstract Environmental scanning is the first portion to an organization’s strategic management and is very important to the corporation. Environmental scanning is gathering information for the external and the internal of the company. A SWOTT is the best way to gather the information. A SWOTT is determining the strengths, the weaknesses, the opportunities, the threats, and the trends of the organization. Starbucks is a coffee shop that sets out to be different from the competitors. The company doesRead MoreIntelligence Gathering Using A Time Analysis1553 Words   |  7 Pagesthe manager must scan the environment to identify barriers and opportunities in the organization, industry, and marketplace (Reed Bogardus, 2012). Starbucks Corporation (Starbucks) is one organization familiar with the competition. To remain aggressive in the coffee market, Starbucks must execute a TIME analysis to distinguish their strengths and weaknesses in the various segments and employ a plan leading them to victory over their opponents. Starbucks Corporation Starbucks operates in 65 countriesRead MoreShould Starbucks Open a Store in Havana?883 Words   |  3 Pagesï » ¿The management issue at hand is the question Should Starbucks open a store in Havana? The management issue here is foreign market entry. There are a number of methods to execute foreign market entry greenfield subsidiaries, joint ventures and licensing among them, but the more important immediate decision is whether the company should. For this exercise, it will be assumed that the company will partner with a Spanish hotel chain that has a major hospitality presence in the country, and will makeRead MoreFast Food Scandal Analysis Essay1406 Words   |  6 PagesArticle Number 1 Title: â€Å"There May Be a Little Poop in Your Starbucks Iced Coffee† Author: Clint Rainy Date of Article: March 1, 2017 Summary of Topic: What are faecal coliforms? These are microscopic bacteria which originate from human waste. In other words, the intestines of warm-blooded animals. Such bacteria often pollute water sources however in the case of the following article, faecal coliforms were found in the ice of the Starbucks food franchise. The issue with faecal coliforms is that theirRead MoreStarbucks Marketing Macro Environment Essay1609 Words   |  7 Pagescoffeehouse business, specifically Starbucks. The report will cover a brief background of the company and reasons to why Starbucks has been selected as a center group to display a marketing report. A macro environmental study will demonstrate important possible threats and opportunities for Starbucks. It will also look into further segmentation research, characteristics, views and behaviors within the consumer groups. Background to Starbuck and Selection Criteria Starbucks was established in 1971Read MoreEconomic Trends of the Restaurant Industry967 Words   |  4 Pagesand Starbucks, however there are many who were not as fortunate such as Sbarro and Marie Callenders (Bite Club, 2011). There are also many new trends that are working to shape future industry growth. One central trend in the industry has been and continues to be consumers desire to eat substantially healthier foods than they have previously. What are a few resources found most useful in environmental scans? How can one determine which information to incorporate in your environmental scan for aRead MoreCub A Long Term View1248 Words   |  5 Pagesor knowledge into said market, the global market entry strategy that I would choose to utilize would be the indirect exportation of my products. In the event where I have not exhausted all of my available resources into completing a thorough environmental scan, do not have enough funds to more heavily commit financially into the endeavor, recognize the amount of risk involved with branching my products into another nation, or do not have a pervasive enough control in my marketing abroad, then indirectly

The Poverty Of The United States Essay - 3731 Words

Introduction In the United States, there is a significant number of women and children that live below the federal poverty line and many still live below twice the poverty line (Jackson, 2014). According to the United States Census Bureau (2016), to be considered in poverty, individuals or families meet certain income thresholds based on family size and composition. Based on these thresholds, people in poverty are at the minimum level of income deemed adequate to provide the basic necessities in life. With poverty often comes food insecurity which can lead to a variety of negative effects such as health concerns, increased health care costs, and emotional and social issues (Jackson, 2014; Henchy, Weill, Parker, 1999). There are a range of nutritional policies in place that help women and children who live in poverty and food-insecure households, such as the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) (Jackson, 2014; Marx, Broussard, Hopper, Worster, 2010). This paper provides a basic policy analysis of the WIC program. WIC Overview and Goals The WIC program is a federally funded program that is intended to improve health and provide supplemental foods to women, infants, and children up to age 5 found to be at risk nutritionally (Oliveira, 2015; Macartney, n.d.). Participants of the program benefit from being able to regularly obtain certain food, through vouchers, that improve their overall health, and that are essential for physicalShow MoreRelatedThe Poverty Of The United States1727 Words   |  7 PagesPoverty defined by the American Heritage Dictionary is â€Å"lack of the means of providing material needs or comforts† (Hirokazu Yoshikawa, 2012). Poverty in the United States is an issue that is often times overlooked because the focus of poverty is on developing and struggling countries. People often think America does not experience poverty because it is such a thriving country. The problem with this is that America is indeed struggling with poverty: â€Å"there are currently 488 counties in America whereRe ad MoreThe Poverty Of The United States1548 Words   |  7 Pagescitizens in poverty has risen. Several organizations have been set up to help those who suffer from poverty and provide their everyday needs. There are always ways where a community can help eliminate the amount of people suffering poverty. Government has an influence on how much money flow there is in the United States such as the FED, which was created to help maintain a stable monetary and financial system and control the money supply. People themselves can also help from falling into poverty, butRead MorePoverty Of The United States1408 Words   |  6 PagesWhen people hear the word poverty many people think of the bad connotations that come with it like, smelly homeless people that are crackheads and disease holders. Some people may even think they are uneducated or not hard working enough and rather ask for money instead of trying to get a job. Although a small portion of that may be true to some homeless p eople due to addictions on drugs and the toll it takes on their lives. The majority of homeless people are either veterans or immigrants, who findRead MorePoverty in the United States755 Words   |  4 PagesPoverty in the United States is getting in inferior quality every day and nothing is being done about it. Many people who want to help the poor, but no one knows exactly how to help them. A primary reason for people not taking action is because of lack of information that is provided about issues on poverty. Poverty is defined as the state of one who lacks a usual or socially acceptable amount of money or material possessions. According to the U.S. Census Bureau data released Tuesday September 13thRead MorePoverty Of The United States Essay1369 Words   |  6 PagesPoverty within the United States is defined as â€Å"having an income below a federally determined poverty threshold. † Poverty thresholds were developed by the United States government in the 60s. Over tim e these thresholds are adjusted to account for inflation; it is typical to adjust the poverty threshold levels annually. They represent the government’s estimate of the point below which a family has insufficient resources to meet their basic needs. Any family with less income than that establishedRead MoreThe Poverty Of The United States1531 Words   |  7 Pagessuch dialog, topics on the increasing and rather consistent levels of poverty in some regions in America are touched on as well. Poverty is defined as a condition where one’s basics needs for food, clothing, and shelter are not being met (What Is Poverty? â€Å"). From sea to shining sea, more than 15 percent of the American population live in poverty, a total of people over 46 million. Many who live in poverty within the United States live in areas that were once thriving from the country’s economic growthRead MoreThe Poverty Of The United States Essay1385 Words   |  6 Pages The Character of Poverty in America Poverty has always been a key factor in United States History. Ever sense Americas birth there have been groups affected by poverty, but the forms of the poverty that affected these groups have changed as well as the nature of poverty itself in the USA. The abolition of slavery, the forced assimilation of native Americans, and mass immigration changed character of poverty within the united states change due to an evolution from agriculture to industry and a changeRead MoreThe Poverty Of The United States1746 Words   |  7 PagesWhat is poverty? A question most Americans will not have to think twice before answering. Poverty is, of course, simply a lack of money. The views of a specific person will defer when politics or morals are introduced, however, the idea stays the same. Those in poverty are there because they have less money than what has been decided to be livable. Poverty has changed significantly over the last two hundred years in the United States, and yet, the measuremen t has hardly changed since it was createdRead MorePoverty in the United States1061 Words   |  5 PagesThe Background of Poverty in America In the United States, there are about more than forty-six million people living in impoverished conditions today. Poverty is a major conflict issue in this country amongst people who are part of the lower class because American families always had a hard time making ends meet, even before the Great Recession began. Living in poverty puts them at a disadvantage because they have to choose between necessitates like health care, child care, and food in order toRead MorePoverty Of The United States1475 Words   |  6 Pages â€Æ' Poverty in the United States is defined as a social problem. As outlined in the text, a social problem is â€Å"a condition that undermines the well-being of some or all members of a society and is usually a matter of public controversy†. It is easy to see that there is a large economic divide in the United States, but with only a small percentage of people in the highest income stratification and the vast majority struggling to get by, the majority of United States citizens agree that there is too

Price Setting in Natural Monopoly-Free-Samples-Myassignmenthelp

Question: Explain how and why governments may want to regulate the price setting of a natural Monopoly. Answer: Introduction A monopoly refers to a market structure where there is only one provider of a service or a product without any close substitutes or competitors. Riley (2015) notes that in such a setting, the market must not be necessarily nationwide but the term monopoly can be used in reference to a territorial market. Having noted the foregoing, attention is given to the term natural monopoly. It is noted that the term natural monopoly is not in any manner used in actual reference to the actual number of providers of the same service or product in a particular market setting. Instead, refers to the interconnection between demand for a service or a product and the supply technology employed to avail the service or a product to the consumers. A natural monopoly therefore refers to a situation where either one of the firms in a particular industry is able to meet the demand of a common product or service at the lowest cost where otherwise it would be costly for two or more firms to meet (Riley, 2015) . A natural monopoly presents a dilemma to public policy. This is in the sense that whereas they imply production efficiency, at the same time, the lack of competition presents the monopoly firm the opportunity to exploit consumers for profit maximization. In a natural monopoly market where there are two or more firms, two outcomes are likely. In the first instance, the firms are likely to merge or they will fail and leave one dominating the market. In this case, competition in such a market will be short lived. In the second instance, the two forms may continue to operate parallel to each other, in which case the high cost of production will consume more resources which will be an inefficient operative standard (Minamihashi, 2012). On this front, one can argue that to ensure efficiency, competition in a natural monopoly is not a viable regulatory mechanism. Rather, the adoption of direct controls as a viable regulatory mechanism should be considered. This paper examines in great detail the economics of scale for a natural monopoly and briefly presents the advantages and disadvantages of a natural monopoly market structure. The need for the regulation of prices and means of regulation are then discussed before drawing a general conclusion. The information contained in this research shall be beneficial to the consumers, the public and students, all of whom need to appreciate the importance of natural monopolies and the economic considerations to be noted when dealing with a similar market structure. Analysis A monopoly market is characterized by entry barriers which present obstacles to other firms intending to break ground into the industry or market dominated by the monopoly firm. This allows the dominant firm to continue operation as a sole provider of the product or service in the industry and in turn make supernormal profits as shown in figure 1 below. These barriers come in the form of patents, licenses, high start-up capitals, economies of scope, product differentiation, among others. Of particular interest in this research is the barrier of economies of scale where unit cost reduction is dependent on output size. This barrier is discussed in detail below. Economies of Scale for a Natural Monopoly As noted above, monopolies present a challenge of having the latitude to produce products at lower output levels such that the end product is priced higher than it would in a competitive market setting. In essence, the restricted output levels maximize profits without taking into account consumer welfare (Welker, 2013). However, due to economies of scale, it is most economically sensible when only a single firm operates in a certain market such as is the case in the natural gas industry, cable TV, water and sewerage, electricity, among others. In a natural monopoly, the monopoly holder sets the product price and output levels based on the profit maximization rule. This rule holds that unregulated firms produce at the level where marginal revenue equals marginal costs. The challenge with this rule is that for such firms, marginal cost and average cost is lower than the price charged and therefore, if the profit maximization rule is applied, this would result in allocative inefficiency whereby the product will not be affordable to some consumers (Opentextbc.ca. 2016).The diagrams below illustrate the economies of scale in a natural monopoly: Fig (1): Pricing in a monopoly market Source: Tejvan (2016) MR- Marginal Revenue, MC- Marginal Cost, Qm- monopoly output, Pm- Monopoly price From the above illustration, the natural monopoly will endeavor to maximize profits at output and price by achieving a level where marginal revenue equals marginal cost. From the above diagram, the red shaded area represents the supernormal profits while the blue area represents the deadweight welfare loss in a competitive market structure. Fig (2): Economies of scale Source: Tejvan (2016) From figure 2 above, it is illustrated that if a firm produces at Q2, the average cost will be AC2. Therefore, a monopoly can increase the output to Q1 in order to draw benefit from lower average cost (AC1). Therefore, the conclusion is that it is more economically efficient to have a monopoly in high fixed cost industries as opposed to having several smaller firms. Advantages and Disadvantages of Natural Monopoly The economic theory holds that everyone is motivated by self-interest (Thoma, 2014). This simply means that everyone is assumed to be more focused on self-preservation. Applying this theory to a natural monopoly, one would then argue that a monopoly is likely to be focused on improving its products and where possible lower costs. Due to the advantage of supernormal profits, a natural monopoly is able to invest in research, development and technology to achieve its objective. By being able to reap the benefits of such investment, firms are provided with the incentive to do further research and development and to patent their ideas. This mutually benefits the firm, the market and the economy (Agarwal, 2017). The other advantage is that from the economies of scale, increased output translates into decreased production costs and this can ultimately be beneficial to the consumer in the form of low prices and quality. On the down side, a monopoly market structure is likely to focus on profit maximization by producing lower output and charging high prices. This is likely to result in a deadweight welfare loss and a decline in surplus as illustrated in Figure 1 above. The high prices may result in allocative inefficiency and supernatural profits and ultimately, it is the consumer who will lose. Further concerns include the fact that as a monopoly gets bigger, it may experience lower average costs (Agarwal, 2017). Price Regulation As noted earlier in the introductory part of this research, natural monopolies present regulatory dilemmas to the government. This is so because there is the concern that where there are two or more firms, the firms will either merge or one will fall and the consequences are that there will be no competition in the market as idealized for a perfect market setup or alternatively, if the two firms continue parallel operation, there will be a high cost of production which will consume more resources and lead to inefficient operative standards. From the foregoing, it is therefore imperative that only one firm can operate as a natural monopoly in certain industries, some of which were identified earlier. The challenge with this market structure is that an unregulated monopoly will certainly strive to live by the profit maximization rule which might result in undesirable outcomes such as allocative inefficiency. It is for these reasons that the need for government intervention will be necessary in the form of regulation. This can be achieved by employing direct controls as the most viable mechanism of regulation (Arnold, 2008). Below is a discussion of some of the regulatory options that are adopted to keep natural monopolies in check: Price Caps or Ceilings Stigler (2008) argues that regulators should be allowed latitude to set prices at levels likely to induce productive and allocative efficiency. If the government is concerned about getting the right product quantity to the right number of consumers and maintaining allocative efficiency, it will have to set a price ceiling for the particular product or service to ensure the price of the product equals the marginal cost of the monopoly firm. However, if this cap is below the firms average total cost (as it is in most cases) it would mean that the firm will suffer loses and may eventually shut down. To avoid such a scenario, the government would set a price cap at the level where the price equals the average total cost. This ensures that the firm will only earn a normal profit, enough to keep it a going concern and this is referred to as the fair-return price (Welker, 2013). Price Discrimination Simshauser Whish-Wilson (2015) argue that it is demonstrated that allocative efficiency can be enabled by charging consumers different prices even when production and supply costs remain constant. This approach employs the Ramsey pricing method which, taking into account the price elasticity of goods, allows for the setting of the price closer to the marginal cost. However, caution must be taken to avoid predatory discrimination through severe prices. Peak-load Pricing In the economic world, there arise variances in demand and supply. The theory of demand and supply is alive to the fact that at certain periods, demand is likely to be high and low during others, which in turn affects supply. Peak-load pricing can be used to attain marginal cost pricing during such periodic cycles. The idea is that since marginal cost increases with the output, the variation of price creates an opportunity for it to reflect the high costs, the demand cycle can therefore be moderated and capacity used more effectively (MBASkool.com, 2008). Conclusion In sum, it is agreed that natural monopolies present regulatory dilemmas to the government which must be navigated to maximize on the economies of scale. Without regulation, a natural monopoly will endeavor to maximize profits at output and price by achieving a level where marginal revenue equals marginal cost. This, at the very least, is likely to result in a deadweight welfare loss and a decline in surplus. Conversely, the high prices may result in allocative inefficiency and supernatural profits and ultimately, it is the consumer who will benefit least. The lack of competition in natural monopoly (and the fact that it would be productively inefficient to have two firms operating in a natural monopoly) leaves the firm with the latitude conduct its business with the aim of profit maximization. It is for these reasons that the need for government intervention will be necessary in the form of regulation which must be in the form direct controls as the most viable mechanism of regulation as opposed to competition. The various modes of price regulation include price caps or ceilings, price discrimination and peak-load pricing as discussed in detail above. Besides price setting, the readers are encouraged to explore other alternatives to price setting as a mode of regulating the monopoly industry. These include the contestable market theory which states that string constraints are exercised by an incumbent monopoly where there is a threat of a potential entrant and thereby, pricing is more likely to be maintained closer to cost. Other options include entry regulation, auctioning and public ownership of monopoly firms (Moszoro, 2014). Bibliography Agarwal, P. (2017).Monopoly Market Structure.Intelligent Economist. Retrieved 30 August 2017, from https://www.intelligenteconomist.com/monopoly-market-structure/. Arnold, R. (2008).Microeconomics(8th ed., pp. 213-216). Thomson Learning Inc. MBASkool.com. (2008).Peak Load Pricing Definition | Operations Supply Chain Dictionary. MBA Skool-Study.Learn.Share. Retrieved 30 August 2017, from https://www.mbaskool.com/business-concepts/operations-logistics-supply-chain-terms/2084-peak-load-pricing.html. Minamihashi, N. (2012). Natural monopoly and distorted competition: Evidence from unbundling fiber-optic networks. Retrieved 30 August 2017, from https://www.bankofcanada.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/wp2012-26.pdf. Moszoro, M. (2014).PublicPrivate Monopoly. Retrieved from https://www.bris.ac.uk/media-library/sites/cmpo/migrated/documents/marianmoszoro.pdf. Opentextbc.ca. (2016).How a Profit-Maximizing Monopoly Chooses Output and Price | Principles of Economics.Opentextbc.ca. Retrieved 30 August 2017, from https://opentextbc.ca/principlesofeconomics/chapter/9-2-how-a-profit-maximizing-monopoly-chooses-output-and-price/. Opentextbc.ca. (2016).Regulating Natural Monopolies. Opentextbc.ca. Retrieved 30 August 2017, from https://opentextbc.ca/principlesofeconomics/chapter/11-3-regulating-natural-monopolies/. Riley, G. (2015).Explaining Natural Monopoly. Tutor2u. Retrieved 30 August 2017, from https://www.tutor2u.net/economics/reference/natural-monopoly. Simshauser, P., Whish-Wilson, P. (2015). Reforming reform: differential pricing and price dispersion in retail electricity markets.AGL Applied Economic and Policy Research Working Paper,49. Retrieved 30 August 2017, from https://aglblog.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/No.49-Price-Discrimination.pdf. Stigler, G. (2008).Monopoly: The Concise Encyclopedia of Economics | Library of Economics and Liberty.Econlib.org. Retrieved 30 August 2017, from https://www.econlib.org/library/Enc/Monopoly.html. Tejvan. (2016). Diagram of Monopoly. Economicshelp.org. Retrieved 30 August 2017, from https://www.economicshelp.org/microessays/markets/monopoly-diagram/. Tejvan. (2016). Regulation of monopoly. Economicshelp.org. Retrieved 30 August 2017, from https://www.economicshelp.org/microessays/markets/monopoly-diagram/. Thoma, M. (2014).What's so bad about monopoly power?Cbsnews.com. Retrieved 30 August 2017, from https://www.cbsnews.com/news/whats-so-bad-about-monopoly-power/. Welker, J. (2013).Monopoly prices to regulate or not to regulate, that is the question!Economics in Plain English. Retrieved 30 August 2017, from https://welkerswikinomics.com/blog/2013/03/04/monopoly-prices-to-regulate-or-not-to-regulate-that-is-the-question/.

Why Kuwaiti Youth are Reluctant About Using Public Libraries

Introduction The Ministry of Islamic Affairs in Kuwait accurately notes that the reading culture has declined in Kuwait. In past centuries, Middle Easterners dominated the world owing to their knowledge –seeking culture. However, this is no longer true; few Kuwaitis have cultivated a reading culture, let alone young people. Several issues could have led to this situation, and one of them is the underuse of public libraries. This paper will concentrate on the reasons behind young people’s reluctance to use public libraries in Kuwait.Advertising We will write a custom proposal sample on Why Kuwaiti Youth are Reluctant About Using Public Libraries specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Background and statement of the problem Public libraries play an important role in furnishing a nation with knowledge and information. If citizens do not use these invaluable resources, then the consequences will be felt across all industries. Not only will such a culture impede development, but it can also affect the social and political climate in the country. Citizens from countries with poor reading cultures tend to engage in unconstructive and immature discussions; they are less likely to vote wisely and may even start civil conflicts. It is definitely in their best interest to expand their knowledge base by using public libraries. Young people should be given particular attention because they will eventually become leaders or persons of authority. Besides, it is easier to influence or teach young people to love reading than it is to do the same for an older generation. Once the reasons behind young people’s reluctance to use public libraries are found, then stakeholders can address those concerns and move towards the creation of a reading culture. In Kuwait, various reports indicate that the general public has a poor reading culture. Furthermore, few of them use public libraries in order to expand their knowl edge base. The situation is particularly alarming because of censorship laws that exist in the country. The Kuwait Times reports that local bookstores and other public forums provide Kuwaitis with minimal options. The kinds of books found are narrow in focus and they rarely offer new perspectives on life (Al-Qatari, 2010). This could be part of the reason why young people are not flocking to public libraries. Alternatively, different categories of readers require different types of genres. For instance, very young readers may prefer comic books or well-illustrated narratives. On the other hand, college or university attendants may look for mentally-stimulating material, yet these may be hard to find in public libraries. Sometimes, logistical issues may impede the youth from using these facilities. They may have difficulties in accessing the libraries, or may find minimal assistance when they get inside them. In other instances, young people may avoid public libraries owing to extern al factors that have little to do with them. The mass media has a large role to play in this regard. Few outlets nurture the country’s reading culture by promoting and interviewing authors. Additionally, state-sponsored book fairs are few and far-between. Alternatively, the education level in several learning institutions could also contribute to this fact.Advertising Looking for proposal on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Some students may prefer to use their school libraries for research. On the other hand, others may not have been taught about the importance of using these facilities or may lack knowledge about their existence. Some may even suffer from reading deficiencies, so it may prevent them from using the libraries. Since all these issues exist in Kuwait, it is imperative to determine which ones directly affect the use of public libraries so as to provide a solution to the problem. Once an explanati on of a problem has been found, then it is quite easy to solve it. Research questions and objectives The main research question will be â€Å"Why are young people reluctant about using public libraries in Kuwait?†. This research question can be paraphrased as a research objective, that is, â€Å"To assess the reasons behind young people’s reluctance to use public libraries in Kuwait†. The main research objective will be divided into the following specific objectives: To asses whether proximity of public libraries causes reluctance to use the facilities among Kuwaiti youth. To investigate the relationship between limited book collections in Kuwaiti public libraries and students’ reluctance to use them To assess whether ignorance about existence of public libraries causes young people’s reluctance to use them To determine if perceived self-incompetence about the use of public libraries in Kuwait prevents young people from going there. To examine whe ther the use of the internet as a source of information makes students unwilling to use public libraries. To determine the extent to which young people substitute public libraries with university or school libraries. To assess whether poor reading abilities lead to young people’s reluctance to use public libraries in Kuwait. To analyze the relationship between poor public library assistance/ services and reluctance to use public libraries among young people in Kuwait. Study design This will be a correlational study. It will seek to determine the degree of correlation between a dependent variable and an independent one. The dependent variable in all the specific research objectives is reluctance to use public libraries among young people in Kuwait. The independent variables in the specific research questions are: proximity of public libraries, low diversity of book collections, ignorance about existence of public libraries, perceived self-incompetence about the use of public libraries, preference for school libraries or university libraries, preference for the internet and poor library assistance or services. The aim will be to establish whether there is a relationship between these parameters. No manipulation of the variables will be done, as in an experiment. Only information will be obtained from participants about the existence of these relationships. After the correlations are established, then only the independent variables that show a positive relationship with the dependent variable (reluctance to use Kuwaiti public libraries by young people) will be considered. These independent variables will be identified as the main reasons behind young people’s reluctance to use public libraries in Kuwait. In other words, the paper will be a quantitative research. Responses will be quantified and analyzed in order to determine the strength of the relationship.Advertising We will write a custom proposal sample on Why Kuwaiti Youth are Reluctant A bout Using Public Libraries specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Literature review Most studies on reluctance of young people to use public libraries have been carried out in western countries. Few of them look at this problem in Middle Eastern nations, let alone Kuwait. Therefore, this paper will attempt to bridge that gap by looking at the contextual and geographical issues that may be causing this low use of public libraries among young people. Since most of the papers on this topic have been carried out in western states, then most of them make a series of assumptions about the social and political context of the situation. For instance, few of them have cases of book-censorship; therefore, diversity of book genres is never a challenge in their public libraries. Alternatively, their public libraries may be better-stocked than their school libraries so few of them may prefer the latter over the former. This is the reason why it is nece ssary to look at the topic in the local context of Kuwait. When one analyses the researches that have been carried in this area, most of them focus on one aspect of library use such as information seeking. A paper written by Lee et al. (2004) wanted to find out why students are reluctant to ask questions in libraries, and it found that they are afraid of exposing their inadequacies. Another one carried out by Dee and Stanley (2005) wanted to assess the patterns of library use among nursing students. It was found that most of them preferred print resources and common internet websites due to their lack of database-related computer skills. These two studies are useful in understanding patterns of library use but one of them is overly inclined towards electronic sources (Dee and Stanley, 2005). The other one already assumes that students use public libraries and only concerns itself with patterns of use inside the public libraries (Lee et al., 2004). This research will bridge the gap b y analyzing why young people do not go to public libraries in the first place. One particular research that was done in Kuwait concerning public library use only focused on the use information technology in those libraries and did not address why users may not visit them in the first place (Al-Qallaf and Al-Azmi 2002). This research, however, provides information about some of the possible reasons behind reluctance such as poor services in the libraries. The lack of IT in public libraries in Kuwait indicates that the services are still wanting in Kuwait. A report made by Al-Qatari (2010) indicated that censorship was one of the reasons why people had a poor reading culture in Kuwait. The source provides a social explanation for the poor use of public services, but this research will attempt to look for other personal reasons behind this pattern of use. Other papers have focused on how to attract reluctant readers in general. Some of them include Crawford (2004), Krashen (2005) and H augaard (1973). These researches suggest the use of comic books as possible solutions to the problem of having a poor reading culture. The above papers can be inferred to this research by using their suggestions. One can deduce that poor book choice or the limited collections in public libraries is the problem being addressed in the latter studies.Advertising Looking for proposal on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More That reason will be utilized as an independent variable in the proceeding research. Other analyses have found that poverty is an important determinant of book accessibility and hence reading (Feitelson and Goldstein, 1986 and Duke 2000). One can deduce from these analyses that ill-equipped libraries or accessibility of public libraries is another determinant of underuse in public libraries. The above findings will guide the research project under discussion. Study population and sampling. The study population will consist of young people in Kuwait between the ages of 18 and 30. These young people will be located in shopping malls, restaurants and eateries, cyber cafes and other entertainment centers. The other source will be universities from all over the country. Since this is a relatively large number, then it will be necessary to narrow down the number of participants through the use of sampling techniques. It will be quite difficult to know the total number of young people that visit eateries, restaurants and other entertainment centers. Therefore, participants will be selected using haphazard sampling. No statistical method will be used, so only the most convenient people will be used. Here, willing subjects will be asked to get involved in the research, and the research will be administered. 30 participants people will be randomly collected from this segment of the population. However, young people from universities will be selected through stratified sampling (Horn, 2009). In this process, the number of persons between the ages of 18 and 30 will be obtained from each of the universities, then their names will be arranged in alphabetical order. The total population size in each university will be divided by the desired sample size: In this case it will be 30. Thereafter, the ratio will represent the nth element; this may be 100 or 40. If n is 100, then every 100th person will be contacted for the research. Data collection This research will use structure d questionnaires. The method was selected because it will ensure uniform responses as no subjective selection of responses will be necessary (Babbie, 2005). The questionnaires will be personally administered so as to increase response rates and also to clarify possible misunderstandings about the questions. The questions used in the research will be complemented using the Likert scale. Each question will possess five items: Agree, Disagree, Strongly agree, strongly disagree and neutral (do not agree or disagree). Data analysis All the nine specific objectives will have corresponding questions in the questionnaire form. The responses will be analyzed through their central tendencies. In other words, their modes will be found through percentiles. They will be represented on bar charts so as to nullify or confirm the hypotheses inherent in all the research objectives. Ethical considerations The use of Likert scales always creates biases in central tendencies, where subjects refrain fro m extreme responses. Alternatively, others may give responses that make them appear more rational. In order to avoid these challenges in questionnaire responses, it will be necessary to combine both negative and positive statements in the form (Burns and Burns, 2008). Issues about getting equal representation from the group in the social settings will be a problem. To deal with inefficiency, all the thirty subjects will be selected from 30 different locations and all of them will come from different towns in Kuwait that have public libraries. Not all the subjects will understand the questions in the same way, they may act like they understand and select an answer when they do not fully grasp what the questions mean. To reduce this problem, respondents will be approached when alone so as to minimize the tendency to impress other individuals. Besides that, the researcher will observe their body language so as to assess whether they understand things. Conclusion This research aims at d etermining the reasons behind young people’s reluctance to use public libraries in Kuwait. It will solve the problem of having a poor reading culture by offering. For data collection, personally administered structured questionnaires will be used so as to ensure uniformity, higher response rates and question clarification for participants. References Al-Qatari, H. (2010). Of sense and censorship. Kuwait Times. Web. Al-Qallaf, C. and Al-Azmi, H. (2002). Information technology in Public Libraries in Kuwait. The International Information and Library Review 34(4), 289-308. Babbie, E. (2005). The basics of social research. Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth. Burns, A. Burns, R. (2008). Basic marketing research. NJ: Pearson Education. Crawford, P. (2004). Using graphic novels to attract reluctant readers. Library media connection, 26-25. Dee, C. Stanley, M. (2004). Information-seeking behavior of nursing students and clinical nurses: implications for health sciences librarians. Medic al Library Association 93(2), 213-22. Duke, N. (2000). For the rich and it’s richer: Print experiences and environments offered to children in very low and high socioeconomic status first grade classrooms. American Educational Research Journal, 37(2), 447-478. Horn, C. (2009). Educational research questions and study design. Academic psychiatry 33, 261-267. Feitelson, D. Goldstein. Z. (1986). Patterns of book ownership and reading top young children in Israeli school-oriented and non school oriented families. Reading Teacher 39, 924-930. Haugaard, K. (1973). Comic books: A conduit culture? Reading Teacher 27, 54-55. Krashen, S. (2005). The decline of reasing in America, poverty and access to books, and the use of comics in encouraging reading. Web. Lee, J., Hayden, A. MacMillan, D. (2004). I wouldn’t have asked for help if I had to of to the Library. Issues in Science and Technology Librarianship 2, 12-36. This proposal on Why Kuwaiti Youth are Reluctant About Using Public Libraries was written and submitted by user Sonia Sutton to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.